TEZPUR, March 27 - In the run-up to the assembly election, 2016 to be held here in the first phase on April 4, the Prabajan Virodhi Manch (PVM) conducted a signature campaign rally across the 73 Tezpur Legislative Assembly Constituency to create opinion against the burning issue of Bangladeshi infiltration that the region is facing over the years.
The rally started from Tezpur Collegiate High School field here on Saturday morning and passed through the town and collected signatures from nearly 20,000 people from different parts of the Assembly segment.
Briefing the media, the convener of the Manch, Upamanyu Hazarika mentioned that the ongoing NRC upgradation process will not benefit the indigenous people, rather, it will help in legalising the illegal Bangladeshis. The NGO later submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Sonitpur, addressed to the Prime Minister. The memorandum stated that it was admitted in the Parliament by the Government of India on July 14, 2004 by the then Union Home Minister Prakash Jaiswal that during 2001 there were 50 lakh illegal migrants from Bangladesh living in Assam. �The population of Assam in 2001 was 2.61 crore which indicates 20% of the people were foreigners.� He added that between 1985 and 2012, only 2442 illegal migrants were detected and deported as mentioned in the white paper of October 2012 of the Assam Government. Referring to the Assam Accord, Hazarika also said that there is no reference to any measure for detection and deportation of Bangladeshis and in gross violation of clause 5.8 of Assam Accord which specifically recorded the Central and State government commitments.
�According to clause 5.8, foreigners who came to Assam on or after March 25, 1971 shall continue to be detected, deleted and expelled in accordance with law,� he mentioned and stated that for this cause, the PVM has urged the government to amend the Citizenship Act and the Section 3 thereof, by making condition of citizenship by birth to be granted only if both parents are Indian citizens with effect from March 25, 1971 instead of December 3, 2004, or align it with such other dates decided by the Supreme Court or other constitutional authority, which decided the cutoff date for conferring citizenship to migrants from erstwhile East Pakistan/Bangladesh.
The rally was attended by all sections of people from every walk of life within the Tezpur LAC.
